Gravity
by writrsblk
Summary: Told in Cuddy's POV. Sometimes now matter how we try and move on, gravity brings us back together. I've always loved Cuddy's character and have decided to show the aftermath of House's craziness and Wilson's death through her eyes. I know trying to clean up the mess TPTB have made of Huddy is no small task, but I've commited to doing my best to overcome it. Hope you all enjoy it ;
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone! Well it's been quite some time since I wrote a Huddy fic, and truthfully I wasn't even sure if I was ever going to post this story, but I can't seem to let go of this idea inside of my head. As many of you who follow me on twitter know my life is somewhat hectic these days, but I'm going to try and post a chapter once a week if I can. Anyway, I do not own House & Cuddy, but that doesn't stop me from playing with them now and then :P Now onto the fic...told in Cuddy's POV.

** Gravity**

**Chapter 1**

It was such a sweet summer day in Cedar Falls, Pennsylvania. The crystal blue skies, spotted here and there with billowy white clouds. The perfect day for a picnic in the backyard with my daughter Rachel, the two of us, talking and laughing together on a bright red blanket under the brilliant summer sun.

"Mommy, can we watch Beauty and the Beast tonight?" Rachel asks before taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Sure honey." I reply, tucking a stray dark hair that had fallen across her face back behind her left ear.

Looking into her dark blue eyes, I'm amazed at how much Rachel has grown over these past two years. My little toddler, now a little girl about to enter kindergarten in the fall.

From beside me on the blanket, my cell phone begins to ring. Looking down at the caller ID, an uneasy feeling rises up from the pit of my stomach.

"Mommy..your phone's ringing?" Rachel informs me, knowing full well her mother is usually very prompt in answering her calls.

"I know sweetie."

I reached for the phone and answer it.

"Hi David."

David Johnson is one of the board members at Princeton Plainsboro Hospital, and a call from him can only mean one thing, that the man I had left in the past was now coming back to haunt me once more.

"Lisa, I'm glad I caught you. Listen, I know you've moved on from the mess here, but I thought you should know, there was a warehouse fire in downtown Princeton a few days ago. And, well...House was trapped inside of the building. I really don't..."

"Is he ok?" I cut in, not willing to wait any longer for an answer as David is obviously stumbling over the right way to tell me what he knows.

"Lisa, House is dead. I just found out this morning and thought you should know."

I feel my stomach begin to churn. My throat tighten as the vision of Gregory House comes rushing back into my memory.

"Mommy? Are you ok?" Rachel asked from beside me.

""I'm fine honey." I lie to her, while giving her a fake smile of reassurance.

############################################################################################

It's ten pm later that same night when I call Foreman's cellphone. My nerves are still raw from the news that had been delivered to me earlier in the day, my mind still hanging onto the suspicion it had birthed soon after I had hung up the phone with David Johnson.

"Cuddy?"

"Just tell me the truth Foreman." I request while pacing the kitchen floor with my cell phone pressed up against my left ear.

There was a pause on the other end of the line, which of course only helps to confirm my suspicions all the more.

"So you heard about the fire?" He asks.

"Yes, now tell me the truth."

My request to him is once more short and to the point, as saying anymore would bring up the old feelings better left undisturbed in their graves.

"He's still alive, Cuddy." Foreman finally confesses with a sigh.

Before I realize it, a sigh of relief escapes my mouth. I clamp my mouth shut, hoping like hell Foreman hasn't heard it as anymore tiptoeing into the past is the last thing I want to happen during our conversation.

"I assume he's with Wilson now." I ask a second later, keeping my voice professional and even toned.

"You know about, Wilson?" Foreman asks back with surprise.

"Apparently some of the board members at the hospital still feel the need to fill me in on such things. Although in Wilson's case, I'm glad I know about his cancer." I tell him.

"Have you contacted Wilson?"He asks with curiosity.

The conversation is now quickly steering towards my personal life, and I notice the way my top teeth are gnawing at my bottom lip.

"Listen Foreman, thanks for telling me the truth about House, but I really have to go."

"Cuddy, I know you still care about House." Foreman interrupts.

"I'm only glad he's not dead." I lie, before adding more to the conversation. "However once Wilson is gone, I"m not sure how alive House will be."

"You know Cuddy, you may actually end up finding out exactly how House is doing if he decides " Foreman begins to tell me.

"House won't come looking for me." I reply back quickly.

"How can you be so sure of that?" Foreman challenges back to me.

"Because, House no longer cares about being happy. And after Wilson dies, he'll find a way to die right along with him. Even if it's just a matter of him wallowing in his drug addiction and misery for the rest of his life."

This time, it is Foreman who lets out a sigh. "I guess you're right." He agrees, as the fate of his former boss is as cold and sad as the tear running down my cheek. Thank god Foreman can't see that over the phone.

#########################################################################################

Before I know it one year has passed since I first received the news of House's faked death. One year of the occasionally dreams of him still continuing to haunt me every now and then. One year of watching my daughter grow up even more as her dark brown hair is now falling down the middle of her back, her young mind becoming filled with questions and craving knowledge like a a dry sponge. It was during this past year that I also started sleeping with a man named Jake Henderson who's two years younger than me. He's very sweet to me and adores Rachel, and he also has the most genuine smile I've ever seen.. It also doesn't hurt that he's handsome as hell, with thick, blonde hair and piercing green eyes. Jake's son Ryan, is the same age as Rachel, the two of us actually meeting late last year during a celebration at Rachel's and Ryan's kindergarten. Jake is a widow, his wife becoming addicted to prescription Oxycontin when their son Ryan was just three. Jake has confided in me about how is late wife was never able to shake the hold the drug had on her, which had resulted in her neglecting their son while she stared off into space, numb to the world. Jake had tried everything to help her, but sadly no avail, and after six months of a living hell, his wife Allison overdosed and died.

Sex with Jake is good,he knows how to please me, and he knows when to give me my space. I guess I should be happy, but right now as I board my flight from Albany New York, bound for Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, I'm struck by the feeling of not really missing him that much during my week long trip. I tell myself it's because of my past with House, that even three years later, there's still a part of me that refuses to let any man into my heart all the way. As I take my seat inside the airplane however, I'm sure that a little more time with Jake will help me to overcome my fears.

Two and a half hours into my flight, my hands are gripping tightly onto the armrests of my seat as the plane has suddenly begun to shake violently, my eyes, staring straight ahead at the closed door of the cockpit.

The pilot had announced a view minutes ago that we would be experiencing some rough skies as the plane began to make its descent into Pittsburgh, however in all of my years of flying, this was by far the worst episode of turbulence I have ever experienced.

I feel the first inkling of fear start to creep up on me and I take in a deep breath while glancing over a the older gentleman sitting across the aisle from me in first class. His eyes are squeezed shut, his lips mumbling a silent prayer as a fine bead of sweat forms on his brow. His large hands, holding a white knuckled death grip on the armrests of his chair.

I look down at my own hands.

No white knuckles, at least not yet.

_It's fine. It's just some turbulence. You're going to be fine. _I tell myself just as the plane begins to shake violently again.

From back in coach I hear a high-pitched scream, my heart picking up its pace as visions of Rachel suddenly begin to flood my mind.

_My baby, my sweet little girl ….if something would happen to me now. If the plane would end up crashing...…_

_No, I am not going to do this. I am not going to panic._

I clench my jaw and repeat those words over and over inside of my head. The mantra, bringing up the image of the last time I had panicked on an aircraft several years ago.

I had been on a flight back home with House after having attended a medical conference. The mystery disease of one of the passengers, which later on was found to simply be a case of a diver suffering from decompression sickness, had brought out the absolute worst in me. Of course House been there to see it all, a fact that still makes me cringe to this day. However, House had also been then to take care of me when I needed him them most, and had been as was as worried as I was that something was really wrong with me before he had figured out the passenger's symptoms.

_But why couldn't he have been there for me later? After had gotten together and when it mattered the most to me, to us? Why did he have to take that damn Vicodin!_

_Something always brings me back to you. It never takes too long..._

In an instant, the words to Sara Bareillles song begins to play inside of my head, The lyrics to that song, feeling as if they could have been plucked out from inside of my own aching heart.

_Set me free. Leave me be. I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity.._

Another jolt of turbulence rumbles through the plane, however..the second tremor is far less powerful than the one before it had been.

It wasn't just the memories of my romance with House that had felt me feeling so empty after its demise, but also the memories of working with him years before we had taken things to the next level. The memories of seeing his medical brilliance on full display, the thought of it, just as precious to me now as the moments of passion we had shared together.

Another small tremor of turbulence moved throughout the plane. However, this time it was as fleeting as the low murmur of thunder after a passing storm.

Closing my eyes, I think back to the first time House had told me that he loved me, feeling a warmth inside of my heart at how completely vulnerable he looked in that moment. Of how painfully scared he had been to say those words to me, but had said them just the same.

"How on earth could you smile during all of that? Are you some kind of thrill seeker or something?"

I open my eyes and find the older gentleman across the aisle staring at me with disbelief.

Taken off guard by his comment, I quickly clear my throat... as well as the memories of House from my mind.

"Let's just say I'm used to handling a lot of turbulence." I reply back to the man politely, even though the memory has in fact left an ache inside of my heart.

From above us both, the pilots voice fills the plane.

"Ok ladies and gentleman, we've been through the worst of the turbulence now and will be landing in Pittsburgh in approximately fifteen minutes."

#############################################################################################

Once inside the Pittsburgh International Airport, I make my way quickly through the crowd of people, heading straight to the escalator that will lead me to the baggage claim area. I begin to feel a dull ache in the back of my head, no doubt caused by the stress of the turbulence along with the memories of House that refused to give up their hold on me.

Regardless of the onset of the headache, I retrieve my bags in no time and make my way to the exit, glancing up at the flight information displayed on one of the large electronic boards above me.

Three flights leaving Pittsburgh have already been canceled because of the approaching snow storm, but thankfully this is my last stop.

Exiting the airport, I wrap the gray scarf resting on my shoulders around my neck, the skin on my face being met by a sharp, bitter wind that nips fiercely at my nose and cheeks.

Looking up at the dark gray sky above me, I hope I'll be able to make it home before the full force of the winter storm sets in.

##########################################################################################

After leaving the airport and taking the seventh exit on the interstate, I'm now traveling on a two lane road, the same road that will take me up two tall large mountains before I turn onto the road that leads to my house.

There's already two inches of snow on the ground as I listen intently to the weatherman on the radio, the inside of my Jeep Grand Cherokee, toasty warm compared to the frigid air just outside my door.

"_Well folks it's only a matter of time now before the biggest winter storm of the decade comes bearing down on us. Authorities are advising that all residents stay off the roads for the next several hours until we know exactly what we're dealing with, but I can tell you from our latest Doppler report it looks like we'll get anywhere from 10 inches to two feet of snow before this storm is finished with us."_

I feel the anxiety start to rise inside of me and grip the steering wheel a little tighter, still hoping to outrun the winter storm and make it home.

A moment later however, I feel my heart sinking into my chest as the slow moving traffic in front of me suddenly comes to a complete stop.

"Come on." I mutter under my breath, trying to peer around the red truck in front of me. But it's of no use as the swirling snow has made my visibility past a few feet utterly impossible.

With my eyes glued on the blanket of white snow before me, I watch as the figure of a man comes into view. He's tall and with the muscular body of a linebacker, his head hung low and covered by the hood of his dark blue jacket. His face, unable to be seen by me as he's turned his head to one side in an effort to dodge the bitter wind.

I continue to watch the man as he stops at the truck in front of me, the driver of the truck rolling down the window to talk to him for a few brief seconds before the window of the truck rolls back up and the man turns towards me. I get a better look at him now and realize he's a state trooper, his gun, holster on his side. I roll down my own window just as he reaches my vehicle, the icy wind, running its fingers through my hair and down the back of my neck, causing me to shiver.

"I'm sorry Ma'am, but you're gonna have to turn around. This road is being closed because of the storm." He half yells over to me in order to be heard above the raging wind.

"But officer, my house is only a half hour away." I plead to him, hoping the look of desperation on my face would be enough to persuade him into letting me pass.

"I'm sorry Ma'am, but my orders are to only let essential personnel through at this time. The mountains ahead are going to be pummeled with snow and we don't want anyone getting trapped up there unnecessarily." He tells me, unmoved by the urgency in my voice.

"But my daughter…she's six and …."

"I'm assuming your daughter is with someone who can watch her until the storm is over ?" The trooper interrupts.

I let out a sigh. "Yes she's with my Nanny." I confess to him, surprised when I see a look of sympathy wash over his face.

"Listen, I know it's hard for you to be away from your daughter. My wife just had our son two months ago, and I hate like hell to be away from them both. However, the best thing you can do for your daughter right now is to head back to Milford before the storm gets any worse. There's two hotels there that are going to be filling up quickly, so if you leave now, you should have a good chance at getting a room. If all else fails though, the local middle school and high school are being prepped to take in people until this thing blows over."

I reluctantly nod in agreement, watching as the truck in front of me carefully turns around, following the other line of cars headed back towards the small town we had all just passed through a few minutes ago.

#############################################################################################

The usual thirty minute ride back to Milford has taken me a little over fifty minutes, thanks to the now heavy falling snow. My eyes, already burning from staring out at the blinding white flakes colliding with the windshield. A couple of times I've felt the Jeep losing traction in the snow, even though I had engaged the four wheel drive and in response I've had to ease off the gas as I kept my place behind the line of cars in front of me.

My head is now pounding, the space between my shoulder blades, ripe with a needling pain as the tension from driving the slippery roads, along with the knowledge that I will not be home tonight with Rachel weights heavily on my mind.

As I reach the edge of the small town I see the first of two motels come into view. The parking lot is already quite full, no doubt from other travelers who had been turned back by the state trooper. Pulling into the hotel parking lot, I hoped I'm not too late to get a room for the night.

"I'm sorry Ma'am, but we're all booked up." The man at the front desk tells me just as I reach him.

"I swear to god if one more person calls me Ma'am today." I muttered under my breath with disgust, feeling pain in my head increase as my luck continues to get worse.

"Again...I'm really sorry, but because of all the flight cancellations and the roads closing we've had more people traveling this road than normal." The man explains to me after hearing my frustrated reply.

I quickly compose myself. It's not his fault the sky decided to open up and vomit a winter wonderland onto the tri-state area.

"Of course, I understand. Do you know if the Holiday Inn on the other side town has any rooms left?" I ask, hopeful that I will get some good news for a change.

The clerk shakes his head at me. "I'm sorry, but they're booked solid too. Your best bet at this point it to try the local high school. I can give you the directions if you'd like? "

Five minutes later, I'm walking out into the snow storm again, the directions to the high school shoved in the front pocket of my coat as I head towards my vehicle in the parking lot. A strong icy wind slaps me in the face, causing me to turn my head over in the direction of the small diner located next to the hotel.

It is in that moment that the front door to the diner swings open and a man walks out.

I freeze, not from the wind, but rather from the sight of him.

_It can't be. _I tell myself, my eyes unable to look away.

_It just can't be._

He's not using his cane, but as sure as the now feverish beating heart inside of my chest, the man pulling up the collar on his black winter coat in order to shield himself from the winter wind is none other than Gregory House.

As if on cue, another strong wind sweeps through the parking lot, causing House to turn his head in my direction in order to avoid the arctic like air.

I watch as his mouth hangs open for moment as if he intends to speak, his eyes wide with surprise as the shock of seeing me again sets in.

In a split second I'm turning away from him so fast I nearly lose my footing in the freshly fallen snow.

"Cuddy!" His voice chases after me along with the bitter wind.

I start to walk faster, not looking back, not daring to stop, my eyes zoomed in like lasers on the Jeep located in the last row of the hotel parking lot.

I'm not ready for this. Even though it has been three years, even though I had indeed prepared myself to see him again one day, I'm still struggling with hating him for what he had done to me, to us, and loving him for his medical brilliance and ability to see into my heart like no other man before.

"Dammit, Cuddy! Wait!"

I don't hesitate in the least, my left thumb fumbling to press the unlock button on the Jeep, my throbbing head now buzzing with confusion as it tries to make sense of what it has just seen.

"Cuddy, stop. I need to -"

The voice that has haunted me for over three years is now right behind me, the touch of his hand on my arm, sending a shiver up my spine that has nothing to do with the winter air swirling around us.

I spin around in a flash at the contact, my breath catching in my throat as his looks down at me, tall and impossibly real.

"Leave me alone!" I yell up at him and above the raging wind, shoving him hard enough that he has to adjust his balance in order to avoid falling over into a small drift of snow beside us both.

The anger over what he had done to me, to my house, to my heart, to all that we had together comes rising up from inside of me, hot and unrelenting, a ball of fire surrounded by the frozen air trapping us both. I hear it in my breathing, I feel it in the way my fists are now clenched at my sides.

I watch House as he stares down at me blankly for a moment, no doubt taken off guard by the physical response he had received from me.

"Just ...just stay away from me, House!" I warn while taking a step back from him.

"Cuddy, please." House begs, however keeping his distance from me as I'm sure he's not ready to find out what taking a step closer to me will bring.

"Go away, House." I warn again.

"Cuddy….I'm sorry. He whispers down to me as the wind moves violently between us.

"Sorry will never be enough House...not anymore. Now leave." I reply, watching as his blue eyes carefully study my face.

"You weren't surprised to see me just now, were you? I mean you were shocked, but not surprised that I was actually alive instead of six feet under. Which I'm sure was what you were told by one of those still brown nosing board members at the hospital." He comments over to me, his voice now more sure of itself.

I turn my head away from him, shaking it in disbelief. Of course he would take this route with me, a quick diversion from the obvious fact that he had nearly killed me, my sister and the other guests at my house nearly three years ago.

"Foreman told me the truth about your faked death. Now you can leave." I inform him dryly before turning towards around to the Jeep and unlocking it.

"Cuddy please, we need to talk. Just give me twenty minutes of your time and you won't ever see me again. I promise." He requests from behind me.

I close my eyes. _It was certifiable to even think about talking to him, to even think about being in his presence any longer than I had been just now._

"Fine, you've got twenty minutes." I say, turning around to face him once more and seeing his hands shoved deep inside of the pockets of his coat, his teeth nearly chattering over the bitter wind. I tell myself it's only because I need to know why he's not using his cane any longer, even if my heart is already protesting the idea from deep inside of my chest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"You know a key part of the two of us needing to talk is for you to open up your mouth and speak as well." House says to me as I continue to stare at him without uttering a word.

We are now seated across from each another, at a booth inside of the packed diner located next to the hotel, two stemming cups of coffee in front of each of us remaining untouched.

"You drove your car through my house." I say flatly while folding my arms across my chest.

"_Come on Cuddy, that was like three years ag_o." House says back to me sarcastically.

My jaw nearly hits the floor. "I should have know better." I mumble with regret, getting up from my seat and cursing myself for being so stupid by agreeing to talk to House in the first place.

Before I can leave for good though, House stands up as well, reaching out and gently taking hold of my wrist to prevent me from going.

"Wait. Cuddy, I'm sorry…."

I look into his eyes and see he's struggling to find the right words to say.

"You've already said you're sorry, House. Now let go of me." I reply, tugging my wrist free from his grasp.

"Cuddy, please._ I'm trying_." He whispers down to me with his next breath.

I hate the way he's looking at me now. The way that promises so much more than he's ever really able to give me.

"Don't do this, House." I whisper in return as the air starts to feel thick and heavy around us.

"I need you." He tells me softly, his pride cast aside and replaced by the aching in his voice, that of course goes straight to my heart.

"That's not enough, House. It never was. We both know that." I remind him sadly, watching as his eyes continue to beg me for forgiveness.

"Excuse me!" A young waitress shouts from behind us both, her right arm held high above her as she balances the large serving tray, intent on getting the piping hot food to the customers three tables down from where we are standing.

My eyes stayed locked on House as I take a step closer to him so that the waitress can get by us, our bodies practically touching at this point. I cannot deny how healthy he looks up close like this, his eyes, clear and bright, with no fogged vicodin haze. His beard, trimmed neatly, with no whiskers poking out on his neck, his lips parting once more to say something to me.

I should leave now. I should turn around quickly and brush by him because being so close to him now is only serving to remind me how much I've missed him.

"Cuddy, aren't you the least bit curious about why I'm no longer using my cane?" He asks me, no doubt seeing the panic in my eyes and therefore throwing a bone out in front of me in the hopes it will make me stay.

"On some new kind of drug?" I question, trying my best to sound unimpressed, although in reality, I am extremely curious how's he's able to walk on his two legs without his cane and only the tiniest bit of limp, which would go unnoticed by most people who didn't know him.

I watch as he sits back down at the booth. "Only one way to find out." He tells me, nodding over to my empty side of the table.

I let out a sigh, I guess if I'm going to spend anymore time with House, I'd rather it consisted of the two of us talking about his leg instead of talking about what had happened in the past.

"Fine, tell me about your leg." I say to him, sitting down at the table once more.

He gives me a small smile, and I can't deny what a welcome sight it is. He's seems both happy and sober, and that's something I thought I would never see again, still I need to keep my guard up.

"Well, like always, without Wilson's incessant meddling I wouldn't be where I am today." House starts to say.

I notice the way his voice holds a bit of sadness to it when he mentions Wilson's name and the agony of House losing his best friend suddenly washes over me.

"I'm so sorry about Wilson." I tell him, meaning every word of it as I go against my instincts and reach out for his hand that is resting on the table in front of me.

He looks down at both of our hands like I've given him some sort of treasure, his thumb immediately brushing gently over top of my hand as he takes in a soft breath. I catch my breath as well when a spark of electricity runs up my spine. He's always had this type of effect on me, and that's what makes it so dangerous for me to love him.

"So tell me all about Wilson's meddling." I say, wanting him to focus on his story and not the feeling of my hand resting inside of his.

His eyes rise to meet mine, his long fingers curling around my smaller hand, holding it securely. I know he doesn't want to let go, and because of the subject we've landed upon, I grant his wish for now.

"When I revealed to Wilson that I was still alive, the two of us set off on a motorcycle trip for as Wilson's health could hold out." House begins to say.

"Wilson rode a motorcycle?" I asked him with a small smirk.

House chuckles and again there's a pull on my heart. "Believe it or not yes, even though there were times when I was sure he'd end up as road kill instead of succumbing to his cancer a few months later."

I can see the hurt reflected in his eyes once more, so a give his hand a small squeeze.

"Tell me more about this road trip the two of you took." I say, coaxing him forward.

He gives me a grateful smile, and once more I want to run because it's just too much for my heart to bare, but I continue to stay seated, knowing that I owe House this much, even though any other woman in my place would have called the cops the moment they had run into him again.

"Well, when we initially took off, I was hell-bent on riding to California, or as close as we could get to it, but then Wilson told me he wanted to ride up the eastern coastline instead."

"And you let Wilson have his way?" I ask, again with disbelief.

He holds our gaze for a moment and I feel my heart start to pound rapidly inside of my chest.

"Believe it or not Cuddy, I have changed." House says to me as he squeezes my hand gently.

I look away from him for a moment, and it's obvious he picks up on my unwillingness to talk about change at this moment as he clears his throat and starts speaking once more.

"Anyway,it really wasn't that big of deal that Wilson seemed to want to see Atlantic ocean instead of the Pacific. However, in true yenta fashion, Wilson had something else on his mind, and three days into our road trip... he finally told me what that was."

"Wilson wanted to help you with your leg before he died, didn't he?" I ask.

House nods. "Yep. You see about fifteen years ago, Wilson did something so risky, if anyone would have ever found out, he would have meant the end of his medical career."

I'm locked in his gaze, hanging on every word he's saying. "What did Wilson do?" I ask as I lean closer to him.

Again I see that look in his eyes, the one that tells me how much he's missed me as he to leans closer to me, his smile telling me it's been a long time since he's talked to someone the way we are talking to each other now.

"Apparently fifteen years ago, Wilson saved the life of a little girl by curing her with a new cancer drug that up until that point was too risky for FDA approval. But because Wilson believed so vehemently in the drug's abilities, he gave to the girl anyway, after hours in the infusion room without anyone else but him and the girl's parents knowing. What I didn't know, and what you wouldn't know either since Wilson wasn't working at Princeton Plainsboro at the time is that the girl who Wilson saved all those years ago was Emily Ward, the daughter of one Doctor Michael Ward."

It takes a moment for the name of the doctor to click inside of my head. "Doctor Ward is a specialist whose dedicated his life's work to finding a way to regenerate lost muscle tissue."

House nods again, remaining silent as I feel the weight of the moment closing in on me. "The missing muscle in your leg?" I asked him in a soft voice as I search his expression.

To my surprise House guides my hand underneath the table until it rests on his right thigh, he then moves my fingers over the area where his scar is.

I swallow hard, our eyes staying locked on one another, the fingers of my hand feeling the firmness of healthy muscle where only a hollow canyon of skin and bone once was.

"Excuse me!"

The voice of the gray-haired waitress, who has appeared out of nowhere in front of us leaves me jerking my hand away from House's leg in an instant as I stare up at her with my heart still pounding and my head now spinning over what I have just felt.

"I...umm what?" I ask in return, currently dumbfounded.

The waitress gives me a sour look. "I asked if you wanted to order anything besides your coffee, but apparently you were too busy feeling up your boyfriend to notice me."

"I wasn't...I mean he isn't..." I start to ramble on.

"We're fine thanks, but check back later and maybe you'll get to see the happy ending you blocked just now." House butts in sarcastically.

The waitress glares at him before scribbling something down on the small notepad in her left hand. She then rips the sheet free from the pad and slaps it down on the table in front of House. "Here's the bill for your coffee, and may I suggest you move your little groping session to the hotel next door instead of here, where there are children present." She tells House in no uncertain terms before spinning on her heels and walking away from us.

I can't help but laugh at the woman as she makes a beeline for the kitchen, no doubt running back there to tell the manager of the place about our supposed 'lewd' behavior.

"Speaking of hotels." House says to me in a low voice as I turn my head to face him once more.

"House..." I start to warn, shocked at his proposal.

"Relax, Cuddy...I'm not trying to get you into bed. At least not while you still have so little faith in the fact that I actually_ have_ changed. I just wanted to know if you wanted to move this conversation to the hotel bar next door, instead of staying in Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow diner with our waitress Sister Mary Elephant."

"I...can't. I mean I still have to get to the local high school while there's still time left to get a bed." I rattle off as the re-emergence of his confidence gets my defenses scrambling in a heartbeat.

"Wait, you mean you don't have a room at the hotel?"

"No, they were all booked up." I tell him with a shrug.

"Oh." He says casually and I already know where this is heading.

"Well I guess it's a good thing for you that I _do_ have a room. Which, I would be willing to share with you tonight. But only if you promise to give me a little more time to convince you that I have changed. Besides, you still haven't heard the entire story about my leg." He reminds me.

"House, I can't..." I start to say again.

"_Yes, you can, Cuddy_. I promise, no funny business. Just time for us to talk some more and a place to rest your head for the night that doesn't smell like sweaty high school wrestlers, unless of course you're into that kind of thing?"

I should say no, however looking into his eyes just now, I can see House is being honest with me. And even though I that ultimately his goal is to have me back in his life as his lover, however first he wants me to believe him again, so much so I can't help but notice the way his left leg is twitching nervously underneath the table as he waits for my response.

"Okay, I'll stay with you tonight." I agree, while feeling a flutter starting to rise inside of my stomach as I take my first step back into the place I swore I would never go near again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone! Well, I managed to get another chapter done :) Anyway, hope you enjoy and thanks for all the awesome reviews!**

**Chapter 3**

"I know sweetie, and I miss you too. Just promise me you'll be a good girl for Kelly." I say to Rachel over the phone, still sitting at the booth inside of the diner while House has gone to use the restroom.

"Okay Mommy." Rachel agrees sadly.

"Would it make you feel better if I took you sled riding when I come home tomorrow?" I ask her, knowing it will bring a smile to her face.

" Really! Can we Mommy?" Rachel squeals with excitement.

"Yep, we can even have hot chocolate afterwards." I tell her as the smile forms on my face.

"I love you Mommy! Kelly! Mommy says I can go sled riding tomorrow and have hot chocolate!" I hear Rachel say to our Nanny, Kelly Adams.

"That's great Rachel." I hear Kelly say in the background, and for the first time in several hours I am completely at ease, thankful that I was able to make the call without House being present, as I am nowhere near ready to discuss Rachel with him at this point.

####################################################################################################

"After you." House says, ushering me into his hotel room.

I quickly duck inside the room, escaping the bitter cold as he closes the door behind us both.

After I had ended my call with Rachel and House had come back to the table, we had decided it would be better to grab my suitcase out of the Jeep first, dropping in off here before going to down to the bar located in the back of the hotel.

From beside me, House places my suitcase on the floor, brushing some of the snow out of his hair with his right hand.

The room is decorated simply, with cream-colored walls, dark brown curtains and beige carpeting. At the opposite end of the door is a small round table with two, high-backed oak chairs. Placed a few feet away from the door is a queen sized bed with a long oak dresser resting against the opposite wall from the bed, I see there's a large black duffel bag resting beside the dresser as well as an orange and black backpack and assume they hold House's belongs. On top of the dresser is a flat screen TV and a few feet behind the bed is the doorway that must lead to the bathroom.

"Headache?" House asks me from out of the blue.

It's then I realize I'd been rubbing my temples as I had looked around the room.

I nod. "For a couple of hours now." I tell him.

He takes a step closer to me. "You know the best thing for a tension headache is to take a long, hot shower." House informs me in a low whisper.

I suddenly feel very claustrophobic at being alone with him inside the hotel room.

"I'm fine." I half whisper up to him, the space between us not nearly enough for me as my eyes start tracing the outline of his lips where that low whisper has come from.

In an instant my mind travels back to all the hot, steamy showers we've taken together as a couple and how those amazing pair of lips kissed every inch of my skin they could reach.

"You're obviously not fine. You have a headache, why not take a shower?" House asks me with a furrowed brow.

"Because it would be awkward." I blurt out, jumping slightly as he lets out a deep chuckle.

"For Christ's sake Cuddy, I'm not asking you to take a shower with _me_. Although if you're down with that..."

"Shut up, House." I snap, watching him smirk at my reaction before he puts on a more serious face.

"Listen, if it will make things 'less awkward' I'll head over to the hotel bar and wait for you there while you take a shower. Fair enough?" He offers.

I bite down on my bottom lip and ponder his suggestion. My head is really killing me as well as the sharp pain between my shoulder blades.

"Okay." I agree with a nod.

"I've also got some ibuprofen if you need it." House offers, fishing a bottle out from the front pocket of his jeans and holding it up for me to see.

Immediately I think back to the last time he had been on ibuprofen and how ultimately his sobriety didn't last.

"Cuddy, I've been off vicodin for almost a year now." House says to me with a frown, no doubt seeing the alarm in my expression when he had reached for the pills.

"It's none of my business." I reply, suddenly feeling claustrophobic again.

**"**Except i_t is _your business. I've told you that I've changed, and this is one of the changes I've made. Probably the most important change I've made beside my leg."

Again I see the honesty in his face. "Okay." I respond once more, opening up my hand and gesturing for him to give me some of the pills.

I watch as House pops the lid open on the bottle before giving it a gentle shake, causing two white pills to spill out into the palm of my hand.

"Is that an okay, as in okay...I believe you? Or...okay as in, I've heard it all before and you're not fooling me." He asks, just as I curl my fingers around the pills.

"I honestly don't know yet, House. I've believed in you so many times in the past and you've let me down each and every time." I tell him frankly.

Instead of arguing with me like I think he will, House nods his head instead.

"Fair enough." He tells me, seemingly willing to take what he can get from me at this point as long as I remain in his company.

##########################################

As soon as I step inside the shower, I never want to leave. The steam and heat from the hot water is doing wonders to ease the tension in my head as well as between my shoulder blades. For the next half hour or so I close my eyes, clearing my thoughts as I focus on breathing slowly and deeply through my nose, much like I do when I'm performing my yoga routine and until all of the thoughts that had plagued me today run down the drain along with the warm water. It's only then, with a rejuvenation of my body and mind that I regretfully turn off the shower, knowing that House is waiting for me inside the hotel bar.

After drying my hair I start to get dressed, my mind preparing itself for talking to House again. We only need to talk about him and nothing more, no need to talk about me, or Rachel or anything else in my personal life for that matter. I take in another deep breath to calm the jitters that have started to rise inside of me again. _You'll be fine,_ I then tell myself, gazing at my reflection in the mirror one last time before opening the bathroom door.

"Feeling better?" House asks me as I step inside the bedroom.

I jump slightly as my eyes register the scene before me.

"House, what are you doing here? And what is all of this?" I ask as I walk over to the small round table where he was seated.

On top of the table are two plates of spaghetti, as well as a small plate with rolls and butter, resting beside the plates are silverware and napkins while in the center of the table is a bottle of red wine, which has been uncorked and some of it's contents having already been poured into two wine glasses.

House shrugs his shoulders at me. "The bar was packed, so I thought it would be easier for us to talk here. And since you chased off our waitress over at the diner by groping me in public, I got us dinner as well." He says matter-of-factly.

"I_ did not_ grope you. And since when does a hotel bar provide table service inside a motel room, complete with plates and silverware?" I ask with annoyance, even though his gesture only serves to remind how truly romantic House can be when he wants to show that side of himself.

"I got the plates and silverware, as well as the food from the diner. Seems the manager hates the waitress from hell as much as we do, especially after I slipped him an extra fifty on top of what I paid for the food. After I got us dinner, I stopped over at the hotel bar and bribed the bartender with another fifty for the wine." He informs me proudly.

"I take it Wilson left you a nice little nest egg for your life as a fugitive?" I question to him, not sure why I chose such a biting remark, however it doesn't seem to faze House as he places his napkin onto his lap.

"Yes, my sugar daddy made sure I was well taken care of before he passed on. Now sit down and eat before your food gets cold." He answers smartly.

I study him for a moment before pulling out my chair, sitting down, and placing my napkin on my lap. "Looks like the only thing you forgot was candlelight in your effort to seduce me." I tell him, making sure he's aware I'm not falling for this, even though I'm now recalling all of the romantic gestures he'd done for me in the past when we were together as I've held each and every one of them close to my heart.

Without hesitation, House reaches under the table, pulling out a red candle and placing it between us, he then pulls out out a lighter from the front pocket of his jeans, igniting the wick.

"Didn't want to come on too strong all at once." He mutters over to me through the glow of the candlelight and I can help but roll my eyes at him.

"So let's hear the rest of your story about your leg." I say to him as I reach for my fork.

"Okay." House agrees, leaning forward to grab a roll as I watch him like a hawk.

"Making sure I don't grab something else?" He asks with a smirk.

"Just tell your story." I respond flatly before twirling some pasta around my fork.

"Well, like I said, Doctor Ward owed Wilson big time, so three days into our road trip Wilson told me we weren't just heading aimlessly up the east coast, but actually to the good doctor's house in hopes that he would be able to help me with my leg."

As he speaks, I chew my pasta, it's actually very good and I can tell the sauce must be made at the diner as it is filled with fresh basil. After I swallow the food I take hold of my napkin, blotting my mouth in case I've left any sauce behind on my lips.

"So exactly how mad were you at Wilson for setting up like that?" I ask as I place the napkin back down on my lap, knowing full well that unless it was House's idea to seek help for his leg, he wouldn't be all too thrilled with Wilson's little scheme.

"I was royally fucked off at first, I mean, here I am thinking it's going to be all bikes, booze and broads for us during the next couple of months and Wilson goes and pulls a major buzz kill." House tells me while ripping apart his roll and dunking half of it in the spaghetti sauce.

"Wow, this is really good." He then comments over to me with his mouth full as he chews on the roll.

I give him a look of disgust.

"Sorry Mommy." He apologizes, with his mouth still full.

"Okay...I should have told you this years ago, but the whole 'Mommy' thing is kinda creepy." I tell him.

"I know, that's why I like calling you that." He informs me smartly.

"Just shut up and get back to your story." I warn.

Again he gives me a small smile, letting me know how much he's missed our exchanges like this.

"Well let's see." He then starts to say, leaning back his chair a bit.

"After Wilson and I finally arrived at Dr Ward's house, the good doctor informed me he would not even _consider_ operating on me until I got off vicodin and built up what little muscle I had left in my leg. So for the next several of weeks I was stuck inside a hotel room with Wilson, detoxing first before getting my Jane Fonda on at the local gym."

"So you're really clean and sober?"I ask him as I study his face for deception.

"Yep, I'm officially eleven months sober, and I might add, buff as a mofo as well." He tells me proudly while lifting up his arm and flexing his right bicep for me.

I realize I must have given him some kind of look of approval by the way he's smiling at me now.

Clearing my head, I speak to him once more. " So after you'd gotten clean and built up your muscle, what exactly did Doctor Ward do to grow your missing muscle back?"

"He gave me a pig bladder."

"Excuse me?" I ask with confusion.

"Alright...so Dr Ward didn't actually give me a _whole_ pig bladder, he just ground some of it up into a powder, sliced open my leg and sprinkled it inside." House says simply.

When I give me another confused look, he sighs.

"Fine, I'll get all medical on your ass. You see Doctor Ward created a powder called an implantable extracellular matrix, or IET for short. The matrix is a biological scaffold, enriched with proteins and growth factors from pig bladders, which recruits stem cells and other cell precursors to the site of the injury, stimulating further tissue regeneration, essentially rebuilding the lost muscle."

"That's incredible." I tell him, as I reach for my wine.

I watch as he smiles down at his leg, rubbing his thigh affectionately with his right hand. "Yeah, it is." He agrees softly.

When his eyes move up to meet mine once more however, I watch as his expression changes to one of sadness. "You know, the funny thing is, Wilson's losing his life is what gave me my life back." He says with regret.

"I'm so sorry House." I whisper, getting up from my chair so that I can place a comforting hand on his shoulder. I know I shouldn't be doing this, but I can't help but feel an ache deep inside of my heart for all that House has been through, knowing that by losing Wilson, House has lost a part of himself as well.

To my surprise House stands up from the table just as I reach him.

"I don't deserve your compassion Cuddy, not after what I did to you." He whispers down to me, and suddenly I can't breathe.

It's the first true apology House has given to me since we've run into each other.

"House...I..."

I don't know what to say, don't know what to do right now. I've come too far in my new life to slip back into what lingers inside of his blue eyes. But how far have I really come when just one look from him has made me a complete and utter mess of churning emotions?

Just then my cell phone resting on the edge of the bed begins to ring.

"Better get that." He says, nodding over to the phone, breaking the spell between us for the moment.

I quickly turn around to pick up the phone, but then suddenly I pause.

"Cuddy, I'm fine, just answer it." House says from behind me, not knowing the person calling me right now is none other than Jake Henderson.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ok everyone, it's been a busy couple of days, but I managed to get the next chapter done. Hope you enjoy it and thanks for the reviews )**

**Chapter 4**

As I pick up the phone, I briefly contemplate walking into the bathroom and taking the call in there. However, after remembering what a fiasco concealing my relationship with Lucas from House had been, I decide to stay here instead. I do however keep my back turned as I do not want House studying my every move as I talk to my current boyfriend.

"Hi Jake." I say, answering the call.

"Lisa, I'm so glad I got a hold of you. I just finished talking to your Nanny and she told me about you being stuck in Milford for the night. This storm is really something, huh?" Jake says to me.

"I'm just glad I found a place to stay for the night." I reply back to him, while of course leaving out the details of my sleeping situation.

"Listen, if you want, I could meet you at the hotel tomorrow morning with my truck and follow you home, just to make sure you don't get stuck along the way." Jake offers to me.

"I'm sure I'll be fine, Jake." I say to him, listening as he lets out a small sigh.

"Lisa, even though I know you're a very capable and independent woman, that doesn't mean you can't accept help from the people who care about you every once and awhile." He reminds me.

"I know, and if the roads are really bad tomorrow, I may just give you a call. I just hate to inconvenience you like that."

Jake lets out a soft laugh. "You _are _my girlfriend remember? And according to the good boyfriend's handbook, the least I can do is be there for my girlfriend when she needs me." He jokes.

I smile. "I guess you've got me there." I agree.

"So are we still on for next Friday?" He asks me.

For a second I'm not sure what he's talking about, then I remember Jake wants to take me out dancing.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." I tell him softly.

"Great! Well I guess I'll let you relax and get some rest before your drive in the morning. Don't forget to call me if you need me, okay?" He tells me.

"I won't and thanks for checking to see if i was okay."

"Anytime babe, just call me either way tomorrow so I know you're okay."

"I will." I tell him before saying goodbye.

Hanging up the phone I take a deep breath. During my conversation with Jake, I could feel the heat of House gaze boring into the back of my skull. Preparing myself for the worst, I turn around to face him once more.

"You're seeing someone." He says, and I can see the hurt reflected in his eyes.

"Yes." I confirm.

"Is it serious?" He asks.

I pause for a moment and then answer him."Yes."

I watch as House gets up from his chair and takes a step towards me. Looking up at him, I brace myself for the harsh words that are sure to escape his mouth.

"Do you love him, Cuddy?" He whispers down to me instead.

I pause once more, slighty taken off guard for a moment by his approach as I've grown all too accustomed to House's insults and meddling instead of this direct method.

"I care about Jake a great deal." I reply.

"That's not what I asked." House points out to me.

"House, it's not that simple." I say, the weight of his stare leaving me feeling smothered at the moment.

"_It is_ that simple, Cuddy. I still love you and I know you still love me." He says without hesitation.

I take a step back from him. "House, I said I would hear you out, but I'm not going to start letting you dig around in my personal life trying.."

"Do you trust Jake?" House asks, interrupting me.

"Do I what?"

"_Do you trust Jake._" House repeats.

I start to feel dizzy from how quickly we've bounced from Jake, to us and now back to Jake once more, however this time I don't hesitate to answer him. "Yes, I trust him, House."

I see my answer hurts him, but it is the truth.

"So you're dating a man who you don't love, but who you _do_ trust."

"I never said I didn't love Jake."

"But you never said you did either."

I'm feeling trapped. Any answer I give to House now about Jake is sure to be picked apart by him at this point as he tries to find the flaws in my newest relationship.

"I'm not playing this game with you anymore, House." I say bluntly, turning away from him and walking towards the dresser.

"What game? We're talking here. " House asks with surprise.

I reach for my coat that is resting on the dresser, slipping it on as I turn around and face him once more.

"And now we're done talking." It tell him, grabbing my purse off of the dresser as well.

"Where in the hell are you going?" He asks next, following me as I head for the door.

"Out to get some air." I say to him, reaching for the handle to the door.

"In the middle of a blizzard?" He questions, grabbing the top of the door from above my head, just as I start to open it.

I look up at him from over my shoulder. "Let go of the door, House." I warn him.

"Cuddy, just stay. We don't have to talk about Jake. We don't have to talk about anything." He says to me, his voice remaining calm which has me completely undone as it is not at all what I've learned to expect from him.

"House, I'm going to the hotel bar to get a drink. If you end up following me there, I swear I'll get in my car and head over to the high school to spend the night there instead."

He stares down at me for a few seconds before slowly removing his hand from the door.

Turning my head away from him, I open the door up wider and step outside into the freezing night air, leaving House standing alone inside the motel room.

#####################################################################################

Sitting inside of the packed hotel bar by myself is the last place I want to be tonight. Correction, the _second_ last place I want to be as the first place would have been to stay in the hotel room with House, talking to him about my new boyfriend.

I'm on my second glass of wine and even though the bar is noisy from all the people packed inside of it, my mind is able to block them out as it focuses on the decision I will have to make tonight. There are only a few hours left before House and I will need to get some rest, but before I hope for any kind of sleep, I need to choose whether to give House another chance or tell him there is no future for us.

I close my eyes, rubbing my temples.

I still love House, even though I shouldn't, even though any other woman wouldn't, there's no avoiding it, or getting around it. House is a part of me, our histories intertwined and stretching over the years longer than most marriages last, however, loving House does not automatically mean we should try to get back together, especially after how violently things had ended between us.

Opening up my eyes I stare up at the wine glasses suspended in a rack above the bar, wondering if House would even consider the two of just remaining friends. As quickly as the thought enters my mind I let out a soft sigh, knowing that is something we could really never be, there's too much chemistry between us, too much raw passion unleashed for us to take a step back to being friends without being lovers as well.

I hate this situation. Hate the feeling of being trapped between a man I loved with all of my heart and another man who I cannot seem to give my heart to. I've kept Jake at arm's length for nearly a year, and yet he still stays with me. Still gives me all the attention any woman could want and then some. I do love Jake, just not in the same way I love House, and I honestly don't know if I ever will.

Maybe I'm just destined to be alone, too screwed up to be in a normal relationship with Jake, too sane to be in a dysfunctional relationship with House.

Letting out a sigh of frustration, I lift my glass, taking a long sip from my wine.

"Hey sweetheart, need a refill?" A middle-aged man, with a receding hairline and pot belly asks me as he squeezes in beside me to where I'm seated at the end of the bar.

"I've already got a drink, but thank you." I tell him politely, hoping that's enough to make him go away, but doubting so a second later as one whiff of his breath tells me he's full of booze filled confidence.

"Oh come on honey. Pretty woman like you? All alone on a cold winter's night? Surely you wouldn't mind some company?" He says, reaching out and placing his hand on my shoulder.

"Listen sweetheart, if you don't leave me alone I'm going to kick you right in the balls." I say back to him sweetly while removing his hand.

The man ducks his head down closer to mine. "You know I like my women feisty." He whispers back to me with a sleazy grin as his eyes lower down to my breasts.

Before I know what I'm doing I'm lifting up my glass and tossing my drink in his face.

"Feisty enough for ya?" I ask him as he stares at me in shock just as the bartender makes a beeline for us.

############################################################################

Twenty minutes later I'm walking angrily back to the hotel room I'll have to share with House tonight.

Luckily the bartender was able to stop things between me and the drunken sleaze ball before it could escalate any further by having the guy escorted back to his room by security.

The bartender had offered to have security walk me back to my room as well, but I refused, opting instead to wrap my fingers tightly around the small cylinder of mace I keep in my purse.

The bitter wind of the winter storm has that's picked up once more, however the tip of my nose and cheeks are the only part of me that's cold as I'm still fuming from what happened over in the bar.

From above me the blinking hotel sign hums like a mindless drone. I wish I could be home more than anything, curled up on my sofa and in front of my fireplace on a night like this, with a cup of steaming tea resting beside me as I look out at the night sky from the bay window inside my living room. My daughter, Rachel...tucked in safe and sound in her bed, having the best kind of dreams.

I miss Rachel so much it hurts, the memory of her smile, of her laughter causing my heart ache.

With the wind picking up in intensity I retrieve the extra key card House had given to me earlier in the day as I reach room number twelve. Nothing has been settled in my mind when it comes to the two men who both love me, and so I pause for a moment and allow the cold wind play with my hair instead. I have no guarantees in my personal life and I feel the deja-vu of being back in Princeton, walking the tight-wire once more. No guarantee that things will work out with House if I do decide to give him another chance. No guarantee that I will love Jake more fully once I finally let down my walls and we get to know each other longer.

Shoving the key card inside of the slot, I watch as the indicator light turns green. Just as I begin to push the door open, a strong gust of wind tears the handle free from my hand, slamming the door against the wall inside the room.

_"What the fuck?"_ House yelps while standing in the middle of the room, wearing nothing but a towel, his hair wet from the shower.

"Oh shit! House I'm sorry!" I say, blinding reaching for the handle as my eyes stay fixated on him, taking in every inch of his body in a matter of seconds.

"For Christ's sake close the damn door!" House yells over at me as another gust of wind blows past me. The wind picks up the towel covering his waist and flips upwards toward his stomach. In an instant House's manhood is full display before me in all its glory.

My right hand clamps down over my mouth in shock as my left finally succeeds in closing the door shut behind me.

As House stares at me wide-eyed and confused all I burst out laughing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi everyone, well I was able to get another chapter written after a bit of writer's block. Hope you like it and enjoy your weekend :)**

**Chapter 5**

Five minutes later I am sitting down on the edge of the bed, watching House as he steps into a pair of pajama bottoms a few feet away from me. His back is facing me and I smirk at the sight of his cute behind before he quickly pulls the pajama bottoms up to his waist.

"I have to say, it's really great knowing the sight of my penis now causes you laugh like a hyena." He remarks over his shoulder to me before turning around to face me once more. House then walks towards me, reaching for the gray t-shirt lying next to me on the bed.

"You have to admit it _was_ pretty funny." I say to him with a small smile as the anger I had felt jut a few minutes ago has vanished.

"I will admit to no such thing." House replies, slipping the t-shirt on before sitting down next to me on the bed. "So exactly how much did you have to drink during your little stint at the bar tonight?" He then questions over to me suggestively.

"House, I'm not drunk." I tell him flatly.

"Too bad, we could have really had some fun, for old times sake." He teases.

I roll my eyes at him. "Well it seems you really haven't changed after all." I reply back to him sarcastically.

"Not when it comes to wanting you, every second of every hour." He says to me in a low voice as our eyes stay locked on one another.

"House, I know you want us to get back together, but I'm not sure if that's really what's best for both us." I find myself saying to him as the fear of another breakup comes to haunt me.

To my surprise, he nods in agreement.

"Of course you don't think it's a good idea, at least not yet. Which is why I need more time to convince you." He tells me.

"House, I can't..."

"Come on Cuddy, three months, that's all I'm asking."

"Three months?" I say with disbelief.

"To make up for the three years we've been out of each others lives." He tries to reason to me.

"House, you're wanted by the police and facing even more charges for faking your own death. There's no way I'm going to risk letting you into my life, or for that matter Rachel's life, only to have you ripped back out of it again when your past finally catches up with you."

"Cuddy, I'm not DB Cooper, the police think I'm dead and the insurance company has their money for the MRI machine." He argues.

"Okay fine, but there's no way I'd give you another chance until you turn yourself in and face the consequences of your actions." I argue back at him.

"Actually I plan on doing just that." He tells me.

"When?" I ask with doubt.

"As soon as you tell me that you want to be with me again." He says to me.

"House..." I say with hesitation, knowing that the decision I make within the next few seconds will affect not only us, but Rachel as well for the rest of our lives.

"You have one month to convince me you've changed." I end up saying to him, as my heart simply cannot let go of him yet. At least not until I see for myself if he's really changed.

"Two months." He counters.

"Two weeks." I warn with steady gaze.

"Okay, okay, one month it is. Care to kiss on it?" He replies with a wiry grin.

"Don't push your luck." I warn him again.

"So...now that we've settled the matter of you sneaking around with me behind your boyfriend's back for the next four weeks, exactly how are we going to pull this off?" House asks me, of course with his usual flare at being sarcastic while pointing out the obvious.

"I'm not sneaking around House." I tell him before reaching behind me towards my open suitcase and pulling out my own pajamas for the night.

"So you're going to tell Jake about us?" He asks with surprise, glancing down briefly at the soft pink camisole and blue and pink striped flannel pants I hold in my hands.

"Not exactly." I start to say to him. "I figured that I could tell Jake that we ran into each other at this hotel, which is pretty much true. And, that you're an old college friend of mine who's going through a rough time, which is also true. And since we've maintained such a good friendship throughout the years, I've offered you to stay at my place for the next few weeks while I help you look for a new job, since you lost your last one because of your former addiction to vicodin." I say to him.

"Sounds like a pretty good plan." He says to me with a pleased smile. "And I especially like the part where you left out the fact I used to make you howl like a monkey when we did the nasty together."

"I do not howl like a monkey!" I say to him angrily.

He takes my hand in his own as his face becomes sincere.

"You're right, I'm sorry Cuddy, you don't sound like a monkey. It was more like...Oooooooh House! Right there House! Yes! Fuck me, House!"

I rip my hand away from him. "You're such an ass." I mutter, getting up from the bed as I feel a blush rise into my cheeks because in truth, House is spot on about the cries which have spilled forth from my lips when we had made love in the past.

"Oh come on Cuddles, don't be so embarrassed. You're amazing in bed. You should be proud." He tells me with a wide grin, getting up from the bed and following me as I head towards the bathroom.

_"Don't call me Cuddles."_ I warn, before turning around and closing the bathroom door in his face.

"I missed you too." He says from the other side of the door, and god help me but I can't help but smile.

#####################################################################################################

"Need me to fluff your pillow for you?" House ask as I lay down in bed beside him.

"My pillow's fine, House." I tell him as I pull the covers up around me.

From beside me, House rolls onto his side and is now facing me.

"How about a back rub?" He questions with a small smirk as the moonlight is reflected in his blue eyes.

"I'm fine, go to sleep." I say firmly to him, before looking up at the ceiling.

"_But I'm too excited to sleep!"_ He whines over at me in a voice that resembles a small child on Christmas Eve.

I turn my head to look at him. "House, we're not doing anything together tonight except sleeping. No pillow fluffs, no back rubs, or anything else you have in mind for that matter." I tell him before rolling onto my side, my back now facing him.

"Cuddy?" He whispers.

"What House?" I say wearily while keeping my back facing him.

"Tell me a story." He requests in a soft voice from behind me.

"You're impossible." I whisper back at him, even though I am smiling again. Thank god he can't see my face right now.

"Please?" He begs.

"_Fine._ Once upon a time, there was a man who had his penis put through a meat grinder because he wouldn't let his ex-girlfriend go to sleep. The end."

"I don't like scary stories." House says to me with a slight whimper.

"Just go to bed, House." I tell him once more.

"I know! How about the story of Doctor Lisa Cuddy and her adventures in Milford, Pennsylvania? I bet that would be a good story." He suggests.

I let out a sigh, rolling onto my side to face him once more.

"Fine, what do you want to know?" I ask him, watching as he gives me another small smile.

"Well first off, what do you do for a living now?" He asks.

"I'm a consultant for hospitals up and down the east coast."

"Exactly what do you consult on? How to bitch at employees and give them clinic duty?"

I glare at him. " _Nooo_, I actually give consultations on effective hospital management as well as helping some of those hospitals set up their own Diagnostic Departments."

House let's out a low whistle. "Wow, you must really be raking in the big bucks, Cuddy."

"I do alright." I tell him casually, when in fact I'm making nearly double of what I did back in Princeton.

"So how often do you do your consulting?" He questions.

"I try to limit my travel to around twelve times a year so I can spend more time with Rachel." I say to him, watching as his face softens when I mention my daughter's name.

"How is the little scallywag doing these days?" He asks with interest.

"She's getting so big. I can't believe how much she's grown. And she absolutely_ loves_ school."

Funny how even with our trouble past, I have no problem gushing proudly about my daughter to House.

"Rachel's in first grade, right?" House asks, no doubt dong the math in his head.

I nod. "Yes."

"Does she..." He starts to say before pausing for a moment.

"Does Rachel remember me?' He then asks.

"I'm sorry House, she doesn't."

It makes me sad to tell him this because I know in spite of everything bad that's happened to us, House did connect with Rachel much more than he thought he would.

House clears his throat. "Maybe it's for the best." He says before rolling onto his back and staring up at the ceiling.

I study his profile for a moment. "You know there were times when I wished I could forget you too. Lucky for you though I've got a mind like an elephant or you'd be laying in bed all alone tonight." I tease over to him, trying to lighten the moment as I roll onto my back as well.

"You've also got the ass of an elephant." He comments back to me.

I slap him in the chest. "Shut up or I'll sit on your newly refurbished leg."

"Speaking of my leg, I can assure you that with the new muscle I can do _all_ of the positions in the Kama Sutra. Of course if you don't believe me..." He questions, turning his head to the side and looking over at me with a mischievous grin.

"Go to sleep, House." I tell him, catching my breath as his leans over and kisses my cheek.

"Goodnight Cuddy." He whispers into my ear before looking up at the ceiling again.

"Goodnight House." I say in the return before reaching down to where his hand is laying next to me and taking hold of it.

I feel his fingers wrap around mine, his thumb caressing the space between my thumb and index finger. We say nothing more to each other as we lay side by side holding hands, looking up at the ceiling as the dawn of a new day will bring about a future the both will share for the first time in over three years.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry it's taken me so long to post the next chapter. I'll try to update when I can, but right now real life is keeping me very busy. Hope you enjoy it.**

**Chapter 6**

The next morning I am awaken by a sudden gust of cold air as it washes over my arms and face. Immediately, I pull the covers up to my neck, opening up my eyes just in time to see House entering the motel room.

He has a brown paper bag in his right hand, the frigid air bushing past him with one last breath before he closes the door behind him.

"What time is it?' I ask him, sitting up in the bed while pulling my knees up to my chest.

A shiver travels up my spine as he looks over at me.

"A little after eight. " House tells me as he walks over to the small table in the room, placing the bag on top of it.

"I'm surprised you're up so early." I say to him while getting up out of the bed and walking over to where he is standing.

"You know how the saying goes, Cuddy. Early to bed. Early to rise. Of course in my case, the earlier rising part has mostly to do with my morning wood. But of course you already know that, don't you?" House jokes from bedside me as he opens up the brown paper bag, pulling two items wrapped in foil from inside of it. He then reaches inside the bag once more retrieving two cups of coffee.

"Well, I must say I'm impressed. Not with your morning wood mind you, but rather by the fact that your ass is actually up before noon." I tell him with a sarcastic smile.

Turning to face me, House offers me one of the cups of coffee, his eyes lowering to my breasts.

"Feeling a little _cold_ this morning?" He questions with a wide grin.

"In case you hadn't noticed, you let a gust of cold aire that could rival the frozen tundra while making your grand entrance just now." I remind him while taking the lid off of my coffee and sitting down at the table.

"Sure you weren't just having an erotic dream about me?" House asks with amusement as he proceeds to unwrap one of the items in foil. It is a croissant, spit in half and filled with eggs whites, diced vegetables and a slice of cheese.

"I'll ignore your last comment since you _did_ bring me breakfast." I tell him, plucking the sandwich out of his hand.

House shrugs his shoulders before sitting down at the table in the seat across from me. "Hey, I figured it's the least I could do after the way you were pressed up against me all last night." He tells me as he unwraps his own sandwich, which is also a croissant, however his sandwich is stuffed with scrambled eggs, bacon and cheese.

"In your frustrated, middle-aged man dreams." I scoff back at him before taking a bite of my croissant.

"Okay, whatever makes you sleep at night. Oh wait, pressing those amazing hooters into my side _is_ what makes you sleep at night." He continues with a wicked grin before taking a bite of his own croissant.

"Why can't you do something nice for me without making a comment about my body?" I ask him as he continues to chew on his food.

I watch him swallow, ready for another smartass remark to be hurled my way.

"Cuddy, you really _were_ pressed up against last night. " He says to me sincerely instead.

I study his face for a few seconds. "You're lying." I challenge.

House shakes his head, letting out a sigh. "Listen, it's really not a big deal. I assumed you were probably cold and snuggling up against me for warmth. Old habits die hard ya know? I promise, I didn't even get a woody, not even half a woody. Okay?" He assures me, of course with a smile of amusement, but none the less telling me the truth as I cannot detect any deceit within his eyes.

"Did I do anything else last night?" I ask him, a bit worried as to where my left hand could have roamed on his body as I craved his warmth. I mean given our history together, it could have been resting on his chest, his stomach or shit...maybe even lower.

"Come to think of it you did whisper to me how you wanted me to plow into your snow bank." He teases.

"Very funny." I tell him before taking another bite of my sandwich.

The conversation between us feels as if we've never been apart. As if all the horrible things that had happened to us after our breakup never occurred. Of course the ease of our verbal jousting is a product of many years of practice, however just below the surface is where the tenderness of our relationship still lies, untouched by both of us. The fabric of it, so fragile after the beating its taken, I'm still unsure if I will ever be able to let it breathe freely again without protection.

"What's wrong?" House asks from beside me as he no doubt easily reads into my sudden silence.

"This part comes so easy for us..." I start to tell him, looking into his eyes and seeing everything I've ever wanted and everything I've ever feared all at the same time.

He looks down at the table for a moment before looking back up at me.

"Cuddy, I know I've done some really screwed up things to you throughout the years... even before we got together, but _I have changed. _And I promise you, I'm going to do everything in my power to show that you were right to believe in me for all those years, even when I didn't deserve it."

"We just have to take things slow." I tell him.

"I know." He agrees, even though we both know the road to the heart of our relationship is already breathing fast and heavy down our necks.

#####################################################################################################

Driving up to my house, I gaze back at House in my rear view mirror. He is following behind me in a dark green sedan as we make our way slowly up the winding, snow-covered road which has been narrowed to only one lane. On both sides of us are three feet high foot snow banks, meaning one false move could land either of us head first into the compacted snow. I grip the steering wheel a little tighter as my mind is quick to remind me not only do I need to sorry about the snow, but also the fact that in a few moments House will be officially back in my life, entering into the place I now call home and share with my daughter Rachel. I'm so nervous about House seeing Rachel again, even though she doesn't remember him, because if things don't work out between us this time, I will be left once more to mend the broken heart of a little girl who I would give my very life for to protect.

Chewing on my bottom lip I reach for the radio, fumbling to find something other than the weather report to get my mind off the implications my decision may have on Rachel. As the song plays on the station I roll my eyes, letting out a sigh of frustration. If god were trying to give me a sign, this is not the one I wanted.

_That boy's just a walkaway Joe_  
_Born to be a leaver, tell you from the word go _  
_Destined to deceive her _  
_He's the wrong kind of paradise _  
_She's gonna know it in a matter of time _  
_That boy's just a walkaway Joe_

I push the seek button, landing on another country station, which isn't unusual considering we're in the northwest mountains of Pennsylvania, however this time the song playing tells of a lost love, something I know all too well about.

_How can you just walk on by_  
_Without one tear in your eye?_  
_Don't you have the slightest feelings left for me?_  
_Maybe that's just your way_  
_Of dealing with the pain_  
_Forgetting everything between our rise and fall_  
_Like we never loved at all_

I feel the tires underneath me being to slip and I ease off the gas, gaining control of the vehicle again, glancing back at House I see the concern he has for me written all over his face. Taking in a deep breath, I try to slow my now fastly beating heart. The weather, Rachel and House are a combination that is taxing my every last nerve and with House, I have to question if he is indeed worth all this anxiety. Of course it only takes a second for my brain to remind me how much I've missed him and how truthfully no other man has ever made me feel the way House does and... as much as I have vowed to protect my daughter, one thing _I will not do_ is end up smothering Rachel to the point that she never feels strong enough to take a risk or two in her life, as that to me would be the biggest failure to her in my role as her mother.

Thinking back on my own life, I don't know where I would be without the risks I have taken, and even though some of them have led to disappointment and heartache, I wouldn't take a single one of them back as every risk, every failure, and yes, even every defeat has made me into the woman I am today.

With my resolve now set, I loosen my grip on the steering wheel a bit as I reach for the turn signal to my right, knowing that no matter what happens between myself and House I will no longer be left to wonder what could have been... if he had only changed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Still busy as ever, but I managed to get another chapter done. Hope you all enjoy it:)**

**Chapter 7**

"Holy Shit, Cuddy!" House whispers over to me with awe.

We are standing side by side in front of the place I now call home as House continues to stare over at the single story, four thousand square foot log home, complete with a four stall garage and wrap around porch, seated on top of a hill and surrounded by tall ,snow-covered mountains on all sides.

"It was a buyer's market." I tell him casually.

"Buyer's market my ass. You must have pulled out every negotiation trick in the book in order to score a place like this." House mumbles over to me as his eyes stay glued on my new home.

"I just was lucky enough to come across some very motivated sellers." I tell him matter-of-factly, still playing it cool even though scoring this beautiful house for such a great price is still one of my best achievements to date.

House gives me a doubtful look before gazing over my shoulder.

"Is that yours too?" He asks next, pointing down to the barn which is located at the bottom of the hill a few hundred yards from where house is standing.

The barn is truly a work of art in and of itself, made up of a cobblestone foundation and cedar siding.

"Yep." I respond. "Along with the fifty acres that surround this place as well." I add with pride.

I watch with satisfaction as House's face fills with shock before he quickly regains his composure.

"Cuddy, what on earth do you need a barn for?" He then says with a frown while looking down at the structure once more.

"For my horses."

"_You_ have horses?" He asks with surprise.

"Four of them. Two mares, a stallion and a little colt that was born last spring. " I tell him.

House lets out a sigh, studying me silently for a moment before looking away from me, towards the barn and then back over to the house.

"What?" I ask him as he finally returns his gaze to me.

"You're better off without me." He says in a low voice.

I bite my lip to hold back my smile. "I've always been better off without you." I tease, but I can see by his expression he's in no mood for joking.

"Cuddy, are you sure you _really_ want me to come in?" He then asks me frankly, the apprehension inside of him rising into the lines on his forehead as he looks down at me.

It's the first time since we've run into each other again that House is doing a complete about-face, deliberately giving me an out. Of course we both know that _I am_ much better off without him and all the complications he brings...however, this marks the first time that House hasn't laid a guilt trip on me in order to make me change my mind, or argued with me about _my_ need for him to be a part of my life.

"I promise I won't make you sleep in the barn." I tease back at him with a small smile, finding his vulnerability and new-found concern as endearing as the way his mouth curls up into a smirk at hearing the words I've spoken to him just now.

"Good thinking, Cuddy. Two stallions in the barn could result in a tragedy. Especially when Mister Ed discovers I'm more well endowed then he is." House jokes back at me, and once more we find ourselves dipping our toes into the banter that used to be a daily routine for us.

I roll my eyes at him. "Come on, before I change my mind and turn you into a gelding." I tell him, the smirk on my face not visible to him as I turn towards the front door.

##############################################################################################

"Mommy!" Rachel yells, running into the kitchen at full steam with Kelly, our Nanny, trailing quickly behind her. Kelly is twenty-seven years old, standing tall at five foot seven with long blonde hair and the athletic build of a runner, except of course for her now very noticable baby bump.

In an instant Rachel is in my arms, her small legs wrapped around my waist as hoist her up into my embrace.

" I missed you so much, Mommy!" Rachel says before planting a kiss on my cheek.

"I missed you too, honey." I tell her softly, watching her as Rachel moves her gaze over to House, who is standing beside me.

"Who are you?" She then asks him bluntly, her blue eyes studying House intensely as she holds onto me a little tighter.

Rachel's never reacted this way before when meeting new people, and I'm not quite sure what to make of it.

"I'm an old friend of your mom." House responses to her flatly, his face showing the smallest hint of disappointment as she fails to recognize him.

Giving Rachel a reassuring squeeze, I take the opportunity to make House's introduction to both my daughter and my Nanny.

"Rachel and Kelly, this is Greg House, an old college friend of mine. We ran into each other at the hotel I was staying at during the snowstorm, and since he's between jobs right now, I've invited him to stay with us for a few weeks."

"Well it's nice to meet you Greg." Kelly says with a smile, of course having no idea about the lie I'm currently spinning to her.

"Nice to meet you too, Kelly. And if you don't mind me asking, how far along are you?" House questions with a warm smile as his eyes lower to Kelly's very pregnant belly.

"Seven months." Kelly informs him with a smile of her own as her hands move down to her stomach.

"Oh that's great. Is this your first child?" He asks with interest.

"Yes, it is." She replies.

"So do you know the sex, or are you wanting for the birth?" House questions.

"I'm having a little girl, we're going to name her Emily." Kelly tells him happily.

Listening to their exchange I feel as if I've stepped into another dimension. The fact that House is actually asking about Kelly's pregnancy, without a snide comment in sight, as out-of-place as a priest in a strip club.

""So exactly who's going to be watching Rachel once Kelly's little bambino is born?" House suddenly asks while focusing his gaze on me.

"I'm interviewing as we speak." I tell him.

"Well ...you know since I'm going to be here for I few weeks, I could-"

"Like I said, I've got it covered." I tell House in a tone that warns him not to push his luck so early in the game.

I can feel Kelly giving me an odd look because of my stern response to my old college friend.

"I'm sorry Greg, I'm just so exhausted from the past couple of hours. I didn't mean to snap at you." I apologize to House, of course solely for Kelly's benefit and not his.

House gives me a nod of recognition and keeps his mouth shut, which earns him another point in my book for not pushing the issue any further in front of Kelly.

"Fair enough, _Lisa_. So where exactly am I going to be sleeping?" House asks, following my lead and using my first name as it would seem only right since we are old college pals.

"Do you like pirates?" Rachel suddenly asks from within my arms as I continue to balance her weight on my left hip, her question directed at House as her eyes apparently have never left his face since we've come through the door together.

Looking down at her with surprize, I taken off guard by the fact that from somewhere deep within her young mind, Rachel has found a connection with her former best friend and bloody scallywag, even though some of the pieces of their friendship have been forever lost.

From beside me I watch as an amused grin spreads over House's face. "Aye me little scallywag, I've been known to like a pirate or two in my day." He tells her with a soft growl before giving her a wink, causing Rachel to giggle as she rests her head on my shoulder.


	8. Chapter 8

**Enjoy and thanks for the reviews!**

**Chapter 8**

After walking Kelly to the garage where her car had been parked and thanking her for staying overnight with Rachel, I was ready to focus my attention back on my newest house guest. However, upon entering into the kitchen, I find that House, as well as Rachel, are nowhere to be found.

"This is our living room. Mommy calls it a great room, I guess it's because we have a big tv, and get to drink hot chocolate by the fireplace, and eat popcorn. Which _is_ pretty great."

I follow Rachel's voice into the living room, finding House looking down at her with a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

She's grown up so much since he's last seen her, and a feel a small needle of pain shoot straight for my heart when I think of what could have been if we had managed to stay together as a couple.

At seeing me enter the room, Rachel focuses her attention on me."Mommy, is it ok if I show House the rest of the house?" She asks, giggling afterwards at how funny her statement sounds.

"Sure honey." I agree as I walk up beside them both.

"Okay, then let's go see my room next!" Rachel says cheerfully before skipping towards the hallway.

"She's quite the little talker. Wonder where she gets that from?" House teases over to me in a whisper as we follow Rachel down the hall towards her room.

I roll my eyes at him, just as Rachel runs back to us, reaching for my hand.

"You guys are _soooo_ slow." She tells us both with a sigh before tugging me along.

I see the excitement on Rachel face and know if there's one thing my daughter loves, it is being able to take charge now and then. Of course I can't blame her in the least for this quality.

After we enter Rachel's room, she spends the next several minutes showing House the pirate ship she has made out of Lego's, as well as the eye patch, bandanna and play sword she wore this past year for Halloween. As he listens to her, House nods and smiles, asking Rachel all sorts of pirate trivia during their conversation, and being pleasantly surprised at how much Rachel really does know about the pirate life.

Once we are done in her room, Rachel heads across the hallway to my room, hopping up on my bed and swinging her legs as she tells House how she wants a big bed like her Mommy some day so she can jump on it all the time. As I laugh at her comment, House glances over at me and suddenly, the memories of all the fun we once had on this bed as a couple come rushing back at me.

"You okay, Cuddy?" House asks me, as I feel the warm heat of a blush rising into my cheeks.

"Fine, it just got a little warm in here all of a sudden." I answer back to him before thinking how I've just opened myself up to menopause joke.

"Cuddy, do you have a fever?" Rachel asks with concern.

"Rachel, what did you just call me?" I question to her with surprise as I hear House stifle a laugh from beside me.

"Cuddy." Rachel repeats with a grin.

"Honey, I'm your Mommy, not Cuddy." I say to her as I crouch down to where she is sitting on my bed.

"But House calls you Cuddy?" Rachel reasons as she looks up at him for a moment before focusing back on me.

"I know, Rachel, but...House is a doctor, and sometimes doctors call each other by their last name. However, you are my one and only daughter and that means you are the only one who gets to call me Mommy." I explained to her with a soft voice while tapping my finger lightly on her chest.

"Unless you marry Jake, then I'll have Ryan as my stepbrother and he'll get to call you Mommy too." Rachel informs me.

I feel as if the wind as been knocked out of me.

"Honey, who said I was marrying Jake?" I ask her, wishing this conversation could have taken place without House being in the room with us.

Rachel shrugs her shoulders. "Me and Ryan talk about it sometimes." She explains.

"Oh." I say, keeping my voice soft and reassuring before continuing.

"Well honey, right now Jake and I are just dating." I start to explain.

"But someday you'll get married, and I'll have a Daddy and Ryan will have a Mommy." Rachel states more than questions.

Again I feel the wind getting knocked out of me. My chest tightening as Rachel smiles back at me with an innocence that tears at my heart.

"Listen honey, let's talk about this later. You still have the rest of the house to show House, remember?" I tell her, grateful when Rachel giggles at my choice of words before jumping off the bed.

"Okay!" She agrees before running past us both.

"Cuddy..." House starts to say as I rise up into standing position once more.

"Just don't, House." I interrupt before walking out of the room. I don't wanting to hear anything from him at this moment, not his pity, or his new found understanding or ...as he's more commonly known for, some smartass comment as I'm still trying to recover from the gut-check Rachel has just given to me.

#####################################################################

"Ok, kitchen, living room." Rachel rattles off as we pass by those areas once more. "And now ..to the music room!" She says in a funny, bellowing voice.

As if my emotions weren't already sent into a tail spin, the fact we are mere seconds away from entering the room causes the sensation of tightness in my chest to grow even stronger.

When Rachel opens the door to the music room, I prepare myself as best I can to meet this next challenge, the way House is looking at me now as he gestures for me to go in first, telling me I'm not hiding the anxiety I am feeling very well at all.

"Isn't it cool?" Rachel says to House with her small face beaming.

House pauses for a moment, at first not believing what he is seeing.

"It certainly is." He finally answers back to her as his eyes continue to take in everything around him.

All of it is here. All of the things House had cherished in his old life and had left behind when he took off with Wilson are now here before him. The piano from his apartment, placed in the center of the room. Two of his guitars, one electric and one acoustic, resting on their stands next to the a large bay window, which holds a breathtaking view of a mountainside blanket with white snow. I even have his some of his most prized albums, mixed in with some of my own collection, resting on the two tall mahogany bookshelves that are located on the opposite wall from the window.

Chest tight, heart pounding, palms sweating ...I watch as House moves his gaze over to me.

"Cuddy, how did you...?" He starts to ask, his eyes still wide with disbelief.

_Breathe, just breathe_. I tell myself, but as I look into his eyes I find myself struggling to part my lips and take in the oxygen around me.

"Wanna hear me play?" Rachel asks from beneath us both.

House pauses once more, his eyes fixed solely upon me before he turns his head and addresses Rachel.

"I'd love to hear you play." He responds, making me finally take in a sharp breath as he reaches for my hand and guides me towards the piano.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

House continues to hold my hand as Rachel begins to play the piano, my heart continuing to pound inside of my chest. Here, inside of these walls, is proof of all the love I still carry within my heart for the man standing next me. All that I've tried to hide from him, all that I've tried to deny throughout the years since I've left Princeton, still alive and well inside of this room, without any protection from the consequences it may bring now that the two of us are standing inside of it. I shouldn't have done it, shouldn't have brought these possessions of his back here into my new life, instead, I should have pushed aside the memories of how precious these belongings were to House and protected myself. However true to my nature, or rather true to the nature of the relationship I have with this man...I've failed, yet again, always needing to protect _him_ without care of the price I will have to pay. I've never felt more vulnerable in my entire life, not even when I opened myself up to House and kissed him for the first time inside of his old apartment Not even when I told him that I loved him for the first time. This is different, this is a hundred times more dangerous than anything else that has happened between us up until this point because of the violence that had ended everything for us back then.

"She's really good." House whispers over to me, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.

I jump slightly as his voice comes intruding into my thoughts, quickly removing my hand from his own and watching as the confusion fills his face before I focus my gaze back on Rachel.

Inside, I am running a million miles away from him now, even though my feet stay planted firmly on the hardwood floor of this room.

I can feel his eyes upon me, the directness of his gaze hoping I'll look over at him again, but I can't bear to see the questions stirring inside those blue eyes right now, can't bear to see them trying to pull forth those pieces of my heart that he knows still belong to him in-spite of all of my protest to the contrary. And so, I continue to advert my gaze, looking straight ahead and focusing on every single note Rachel is playing until her hands grow still and I am left giving her a much deserved applause, with House clapping right along with me.

"That was very good Rachel." House tells my daughter.

"You really think so? Mommy always says how good I am, but she's my Mommy so you know...she kinda has to." Rachel tells him with a crooked smile.

House let's out a chuckle and I feel it heading straight for my aching heart. "Smart kid, but as I'm sure your mother will attest to, if I thought you stunk, I'd tell you so." He says, glancing over at me briefly.

"Does House really tell people they stink?" Rachel questions to me with a giggle, no doubt delighted at such a notion.

I hesitantly nod my head. "Sometimes...however..."

"Well, can I tell people when _they_ stink?" Rachel questions immediately, before I can elaborate any further.

"No, you can not." I tell her firmly.

"But why not? If people stink, I want to tell them." Rachel protests.

"Because, being polite is something that everyone should do, including House." I tell her.

"Well if I can't tell people they stink, can we at least go sled riding now?" She asks.

I let out a soft laugh, thankful that for a six year old, the answers to many of her questions can be easily diverted by doing something else that's far more interesting.

"Sure." I agree.

"And House can come too right?" Rachel adds as she grabs my hand.

##########################################################################################################

I was sure House would decline Rachel's offer to come outside with us, sure he would much rather stay inside my warm home and unpack in one of the two guest rooms I had shown to him earlier. However, House it seemed had other ideas as he eagerly had accepted Rachel's invitation with hesitation.

"Mommy! Can I go by myself this time?" Rachel asks me, bringing me back to the present as she and House make their way back up to the top of the hill where I am standing, waiting for them both.

"Okay, sweetie...juts be careful." I tell her.

We've been out here for around twenty minutes now, with House and I taking turns riding on the sled with Rachel, leaving us with no real time alone. Of course as my bad luck would have it, that's about to change.

"Does that kid ever slow down?" House asks me as he walks up beside me, winded, but managing to stay up with my little ball of energy just the same, which is an impressive feat in and of itself.

"She'll eventually wear herself out." I tell him, glancing down at Rachel as she makes her way to the bottom of the hill.

"Listen Cuddy, about the music room ..." House starts to say as my eyes rest upon his face once more.

"We'll talk later, after Rachel goes to bed." I quickly interrupt, still needing some time to recover from our previous encounter.

House takes a step closer to me. "At least let me say thank you." He whispers down to me, taking my hand in his own again.

"Don't." I warn, pulling my hand away.

"Cuddy, I know that you're scared, I get that... but we both agreed ..."

"House, in case you haven't noticed, Rachel's not a toddler anymore. In fact she's a very bright little girl, and if she sees the two of us talking like this, in addition to you trying to hold my hand, she's going to start asking me questions I'm not ready to answer." I argue back at him.

"Jake!" Rachel suddenly cries out from the bottom of the hill and I feel my heart instantly sink into my stomach.

"Jake! We're over here!" Rachel yells again, as the man who I am currently in a relationship with starts jogging over from the back of the house to where she is running towards him.

I catch a glimpse of House sizing Jake up, his blue eyes narrowing in on my current boyfriend like a hawk studying its prey. Tall, sturdy, and ruggedly handsome, Jake Henderson is what every little girl dreams her prince charming will be when she grows up.

I can't help but smile down at Jake as our eyes connect and he waves up at me just before Rachel reaches him, any trepidation I had felt a few moments ago, comforted by the fact that I've already told Jake about House staying with me for the next few weeks during a phone call I had placed to him this morning, something that House had not been privy to as I had made the call from inside my Jeep just before we had left the motel.

"Definitely an upgrade from Lucas. Of course I slug would have been an upgrade from that loser." House mumbles over to me, making sure to throw in a good insult, however much to my amusement, unable to hide the hint of worry in his voice,.

Below us, Jake has hoisted Rachel up into his arms, a dazzling smile upon his face as she wraps her arms around his neck.

"Hey! How's my favorite girl today?" He asks her with enthusiasm, giving her a hug as I start to make my way down to them, hearing House's footsteps trailing closely behind me in the knee deep snow

"Good." Rachel says with giggle, hugging him back tightly.

"Where's Ryan?" Rachel asks, questioning about Jake's son's whereabouts just as I reach them.

"I just dropped him off at Aunt Sadie's for a while. And since I was so close to your house, I thought I'd stop by to see you and your Mom for a little bit." Jake tells her.

Sadie is the older sister of Jake's late wife, Allison and the only living relative of her side of the family that's left.

"Hey you." Jake says to me in a low whisper before leaning in and kissing me softly on the lips.

Rachel giggles between us as the kiss between myself and Jake lingers a little longer than expected.

"Hey yourself." I finally whisper back to him as our lips part, and for a split second I feel the faintest of butterflies stirring within me.

I've missed Jake,_ I truly have missed this man_ who have tried so hard not to let into my heart, and the realization of this new found emotion comes crashing down on me like a ton of bricks.

"Greg House!" House shouts from beside us, causing myself, as well as Jake and Rachel to jump as he sticks his hand out in Jake's direction.

"You're funny!" Rachel says to House with a giggle as Jake places her back on the ground.

"Jake Henderson." Jake says, not sure what to make of the man standing beside me, but shaking House's hand anyway.

"So you've known Lisa since college huh?" Jake questions as he moves his hand that had been shaking House's hand around my waist.

"Yep, and for the right price ...I would be willing to tell you all of her deepest, darkest secrets." House says to Jake with grin while giving me a wink.


	10. Chapter 10

**Real life keeps getting busier, but I hope you enjoy this extra long chapter:) Thanks again for the reviews!**

**Chapter 10**

Shortly after Jake had arrived, House had excused himself, telling us he was heading back inside to unpack. I know House seeing me with Jake couldn't have been easy for him, but it is the reality of my new life I have made without him. During the next half hour I spend outside with Rachel and Jake, I tried my best not to think about House, focusing on my little girl having fun out in the snow as Jake and I take turns riding on the sled with her. However, no matter how hard I try, my thoughts keep drifting back to House, wondering how he's coping. I don't feel guilty for moving on, however it still doesn't ease the pain I feel after seeing the way House had looked at me after I had kissed Jake in front of him.

"Mommy, let's go inside now." Rachel says from beneath me, snapping me back into reality as her red nose and cheeks are proof of a little girl who has had enough of the winter wonderland for now.

"Sure honey." I say, wrapping my arm around her shoulder as Jake reaches for my free hand, dragging the sled behind him.

"Hey, are you okay?" He whispers into my ear, no doubt worried about me as I have done more thinking than talking during our time out here together.

"I'm fine, just a little worn out from the past few days." I reply.

################################################## #####################################

As we walk into the kitchen from the garage, where we have left our jackets, hats and boots, my nose if filled with aroma of fresh garlic, my eyes landing on House as he slices some cherry tomatoes in half on the counter before adding them to a large, ceramic salad bowl.

"House, what are you doing?" I question, walking over to where he is standing.

"This is what most people call making lunch for everyone." House answers back to me smartly before turning around and checking on something he's got baking in the oven.

"You don't have to do that." I say to him, just as Rachel and Jake walk up beside.

"Cuddy, it's not that big of a deal. Besides, if I'm going to be staying here and eating your food for a whole month, the least I can do is cook a meal now and then." House tells me before looking over at Rachel.

"Want some hot chocolate, Scallywag?" He asks her with a smirk.

"Sure!" Rachel says, quickly climbing up on one of the four stools placed in front of the kitchen island.

"Okay, one hot chocolate coming up." House tells Rachel cheerfully, his smile fading a bit as he sees Jake wrap his arm around my waist.

"So you call her Cuddy, huh?" Jake remarks; trying to start-up of some sort of small talk with my new house guest.

"Yep, since med school." House answers while lading some hot chocolate into a white ceramic mug he has placed beside the stove.

"Here, I'll get that for you." Jake offers, taking the mug from House's hand.

If looks could kill, Jake Henderson would be a dead man right now, judging by House's expression.

"Okay Rach this is pretty hot, so let it sit a minute." Jake instructs my daughter as he sets the mug before her.

"I will." Rachel answers, looking down at the mug with an excited expression before looking over to where we are standing. "Thanks House!" She then adds with a grin.

"You're welcome." House replies with a small smile before turning and facing me.

"So what about you Cuddy? Would you like some my hot chocolate?" He asks as a smile stretches over his lips.

"No thanks." I answer, trying my best to keep my cool as the both of us know 'hot chocolate' used to be our secret code name for sex back when we were a couple.

"Are you sure? I can promise you it's the best you've ever had." House pushes, the smile on his face innocent enough to Jake and Rachel, but all to sinister to me.

"I'm sure." I tell him, making a mental note that when it comes to be an ass, House hasn't changed at all.

"Fair enough" House says with a shrug,no doubt pleased by his little stunt. "What about you, Jake?" He then asks my current boyfriend.

"No thanks, but if you need some help with lunch, I'd be glad to pitch in." Jake offers.

House gives him a suspicious look. "You cook?" He questions.

"On occasion." Jake answers casually before moving past House and opening the oven door, "Homemade pizza? Very nice. Of course I always like to use the grill when I take the time to prepare fresh dough." Jake adds, nodding over to the deck where the grill is located.

"Yeah, that would have been a great idea, if there wasn't two feet of snow covering the grill. " House responds.

Jake flashes House a smile, as he pats him on the back. "Two feet of snow is nothing up here. Besides, any man worth his salt knows nothing good in life every comes easy."

House lets out a loud obnoxious laugh that causes Rachel to giggle and my anxiety to rise, just a little. "Wow Jake! I'm so glad you pointed that out to me,and here all this time I had been living under the illusion that every good in life _does_ come easy."

It's obvious that both men have an instant dislike for each other, what's not as obvious is whether Jake has senses any smoldering of a past relationship between House and myself.

Jake does however, give House a long, hard look before opening up his mouth, however just as he is ready to speak, the timer on the oven goes off, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Ah, perfect end to an awkward situation, wouldn't you say Jake?" House says, of course not one to leave a moment like this alone as he opens the door to the oven.

Jake gives House another smile while scratching his temple, his confidence and cockiness on full display for House to see before he turns in my direction, effectively ending an further verbal jousting.

"So exactly how did you and House meet?" Jake asks me, causing House to halt for a moment just as he places the pizza on top of the stove.

################################################## #####################################

During lunch it is I who find myself in a rather awkward position, aligned with my former lover, as together, House and I tell Jake the story of how we met, and continued to be friends throughout the years. To my surprise, not only does House manages to keep things civil, between him and the man he now obviously hate, but he also add just the right amount of truth to weave a very credible story. We dated briefly back in Michigan, but it was nothing serious and we remained friends, as both of our careers began to blossom and call on each other when the need arose. My need, of course being for House's medical expertise, and House need, to help him out of hot water with whoever his current boss may be at the times, thanks to my connections with other hospital administrators. By the end of our lunch, I feel confident that my situation is once more under my control, with the tension I felt earlier in the day, nowhere to be found.

Standing in the living room I short while later, I close my eyes as Jake leans in to kiss me goodbye. His arms wrapped around my waist, the kiss between us deepening for a moment as we are now alone, with House and Rachel out of sight, still inside the kitchen.

Again I feel the butterflies rising up into my stomach as I pull Jake closer to me. This kiss between us feeling so right, so perfect, leaving me questioning once more why I would risk something so special over a past relationship that had ended so horribly wrong.

As our lips part, Jake smiles down at me. "You look so good tonight." He whispers as hid right hand caresses my hip.

"I look a mess." I reply, knowing being after being out in the snow for hours without a hint of makeup on, I probably look anything but good right now.

Jake laughs softly. "You always look good to me." He whispers as his gives me a soft kiss. " So, do and Rachel wanna stay over Monday night?" He asks as our lips part for a second time.

Jake knows that the first weekend when I come home from a business trip are for Rachel, and since this is Saturday, my daughter still has one day of my full and undivided attention, or as much of my undivided attention I can give here with House being around.

"Sure." I reply without hesitation.

################################################## ##################

For the rest of the evening, House had played with Rachel inside of the living room, the two of them making pirate ships out of Lego's and having duels with her cardboard swords as I had watch them from the couch, content to observe instead of join in on their fun because of having far too many thoughts swimming around inside of my head. From time to time House looks over at me, his eyes searching my own for some kind of sign to tell him where things stand with us, but all I can do is shift my gaze away from him whenever our eyes connect, not ready to delve into any sort of emotional connection with him right now as my heart ponders my past with him versus the life I am living now. However, as evening changes into night and I put Rachel to bed, I know there's no avoiding House any longer, the promise I had made to him to give him a chance, now looming heavy in the air around me as I make my way back into the living room. It is when I am about halfway down the hall that the sound of music comes to to greet me as House begins to play the piano for the first time in nearly three years.

I close my eyes and listen, knowing he's picked this particular song to play because of the situation we are currently in.

_How can I just let you walk away?__Just let you leave without trace?_

_When I stand here taking every breath with you, ooh.._

_You're the only one who really knew me at all..._

Opening up my eyes before the emotion of the song can suck me in, walking past the kitchen, and towards the music room with my heart fully guarded.

_How can you just walk away from me when all I can do is watch you leave? _

_'Cause we've shared the laughter and the pain, and even shared the tears _

_You're the only one who really knew me at all ..._

Entering into the room, I stand inside the doorway for a moment watching House play, lingering in the expression on his face as his fingers move over the black and white keys. Here inside this room, House has found a piece of himself once more and it is a comforting thing to witness.

"Wanna sit by the piano man for old times sake?" House asks me, catching my gaze while he continues to play.

_So, take a look at me now - well, there's just an empty space _

_And there's nothing left here to remind me - just the memory of your face _

I nod, walking over to him and sitting beside him on the piano bench, listening to him play with my shoulder pressed against his. This moment is so perfect, I do not want it to end.

_Take a good look at me now 'cause I'll still be standing here _

_And you coming back to me is against all odds - it's the chance I've got to take..._

As his fingers still, House looks over at me. "So, where do we go from here?" He asks me, with the kind of honesty in his voice that tugs at my heart.

"I don't know." I answer just as honestly, torn between risking all I have over the memories of a man I cannot forget.

House study me closely, trying to figure out what I'm thinking. "For what it's worth...you look amazing. I wanted to tell you that the minute we ran into each other, but because of the yelling and shoving I didn't get a chance to." He tells me.

I let out a soft laugh. "Thank you." I respond with a smile.

"Sooo.." House starts to say before he carefully reaches for my hand. "Is this okay now that we're alone, or are you going to freak out again?"

"House, you need to understand. I still have a boyfriend who I care about very much." I remind him.

"And yet here we are." House counters, his fingers now intertwined with my own and resting on my lap.

" And yet here we are." I agree, the energy between us at a low, but steady hum as each of us waits for the next person's move.

In the end, it is House who takes the next step, a brave move considering that depending on the route he takes, our conversation could come to an abrupt end if he pushes things too far.

"Okay, so as long as were here together and I'm allowed to hold your hand, you wanna tell me exactly how you got all of my stuff up here in Hicksville Pennsylvania?"

"I still have my connections back in Princeton." I tell him slyly.

"Foreman." House states, and I wrinkle my nose at him.

"Okay yes, Foreman." I confirm. "He told you me that your Mom had planned to auction off your stuff, and well..."

Suddenly I'm finding it hard to speak as I look into the eyes of a man who still holds a piece of my heart inside of his hands.

"Just admit it Cuddy, you can't live without me." House teases in a low voice meant to ease my apprehension, however, it has the exact opposite effect as his smile as well as his closeness to me right now reminds me of how much I've missed his company.

"I just couldn't bear to have all your stuff auctioned off to strangers when I knew you were still alive. And so, I had one of my friends in Princeton attend the auction in my place." I explain, carrying on with the story.

"This friend wouldn't happen to be Foreman?" House asks knowingly.

"No..he...alright yes." I agree with a sigh, taking in a sharp breath a second later as House leans in and kisses me on the cheek.

"Thanks." He tell me simply.

"You're welcome." I reply, caught of guard a bit by his actions as they remind of how caring the man beside me can really be.

"So how much do I owe you?" House asks next.

"You don't have to pay me anything"

"Good, then how about we make things even another way." He suggests all too quickly.

"House, I'm not -" I start to protest, thinking of course of the sexual favors he's ready to start spilling forth from his mouth.

He gives me a disappointed look. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Cuddy." He scolds. "I'm talking about you paying me back by agreeing to spending some time with me."

I give him an odd look. "I thought I already agreed to that?"

"You did , but...I need you to promise me you'll let me be in charge of what we do during our time together." He explains.

I give him a doubtful look, still not convinced he has only the purest intentions in mine for me.

"Oh come on, I'm not talking about sex." He assures me. "Although if you're down.."

"Shut up." I warn him before removing my hand from his own. "Fine, we'll do whatever you want, withing reason." I agree, feeling myself inching closer to the edge of a very dangerous cliff.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The next morning, I'm up before the sun has a chance to peek its head over the mountains outside of my bedroom window, getting dressed in my workout clothes and pulling my hair back into a ponytail before heading off towards the basement where my yoga studio is located. As I reach the end of the hallway downstairs I pause, hearing the steady hum of the treadmill beneath my feet. I take the next few steps till I reach the guest room House is staying in, and tap on the door, even though I know it's obvious House is the one running on the machine below me. I push the door open and look inside, the bed has been made and House's dufflle bag is resting on the chair on the opposite side of the room where a small desk is located, on top of the desk is a laptop he's brought with him. I feel my breath catch in my throat as I enter the room, I know I shouldn't spy on him, but I can't help myself, I need to be sure House is telling me the truth,, that he is as clean and sober as he appears to be. I walk over to his dufflle bag, seeing it's already open and carefully feel my way down inside the bag, past the softness of his t-shirts and the ruggedness of his denim jeans, ready to feel the familiar cylinder shape of a prescription bottle, puzzled when I feel something else entirely instead. Square, thick and made of leather,but far too big to be a wallet as I pull it free from the clothes surrounding it. At first I think what I've found is a bound notepad of some sort before I open it up and I come face to face with the past I had shared with House.

T_his is stupid. _I had argued

_No, it's not. _House had protested as he held his cell phone above us.

_We're not teenagers, House._

_Shut up and smile, Cuddy. _He had growled at me softly as he pulled me closer to him.

My hand is on my heart as I stare down at the photograph of House and I together, my on his chest, my head resting on his shoulder. The picture, taken a few weeks after we had become an 'official' couple, with the two of us lying in his bed just after we had made love. The smirk of triumph and happiness on House's face as well as the undeniable smile of a very satisfied woman on my own face, reminding me of how very much I had loved him, and more importantly, how truly happy we had made each other. Before I can sink any deeper into the past and what could have been, I close the leather-bound photo case, carefully placing it back into the duffle bag.

Still feeling the ache inside of my heart that the photo has produced, I take my last step down into the basement, my eyes meeting House's gaze from across the room, that same heart of mine now pounding once more inside of my chest at the sight of him. House is drenched in sweat, his forehead beaded with perspiration, the front of his t-shirt, clinging to his upper body as he pushes his strong, muscular legs to keep up with their steady pace.

"This okay?" House asks me with a harsh breath as he continues to run on the treadmill, the dull hum of music coming from the earbuds of his Ipod traveling over to me.

I nod in agreement before quickly walking past him, left dumbfounded for a moment by the sight of him as I move towards the partitioned space in the basement were my yoga studio is set up, of course feeling House's eyes following me until I'm out of sight.

I've haven't seen House this virile and healthy in a very long, long time. In fact, the last time he was so full of life had been back in Michigan when I had first gazed into the piercing blue eyes of tall, lean boy who had just the right amount of muscle and brains to catch my attention.

_What the hell was I doing? _I find myself thinking, shaking my head in frustration and banishing the kind of thoughts of House which only lead to heartache and trouble. I sit down onto my yoga mat, closing my eyes and taking in a deep breath, determined to find my peace, my center, the core of my being that will guide me past such distractions and towards what really matters in my life.

An hour later, I open my eyes. Lying on my back with my arms at my sides and my legs slightly open, I feel the type of fulfillment that can only come from yoga, my body and mind now refreshed and ready to face the day. The basement is quite, the treadmill now silent, and without the thumping of two strong legs upon it.

Making my way upstairs, I pass by the guest room, hearing the sound of the shower running from the attached bathroom and feeling a slight pang of guilt over snooping through House's things, but dammit...I had to protect myself, especially after what he had done to me. Still, not finding any pills in hindsight had been a relief and as I make my way upstairs, I am once more filled with the image of House running on treadmill this morning and the undeniable proof of the changes he has made in his life. A sober, strong man pushing his body with confidence as I looked on with amazement, as well as with a reaction that I'm sure pleased House to no end. Reaching my bedroom however, I remind myself that sobriety can be as fragile as delicate china, easily broken by the difficulties we face in life. I need this type of perspective to keep myself grounded while House is here, and while I'm still not sure why I'm risking so much for a man I am better off without.

Opening my bedroom door, I find the steady ground shifting beneath me as upon my bed are two square boxes, wrapped in red paper. There's of course no doubt of who is the bearer of these gifts as I walk up to my bed. Eyeing the presents up cautiously, I notice the first box is smaller and thinner in size than the second box resting below it, which is equally thin, but 3 inches wider in width.

I reach for the first box, unwrapping the paper, lifting the lid and finding a CD. There is a post-it note attached to the CD that simple states - "Play me".

I remove CD free from the box and walk over to the CD player resting on top of my dresser, inserting disc before pushing play.

The sound of the piano and electric guitar spill forth from the speakers and I can't help but smile as the old song plays, the tune, taking me back to when I was a young woman bursting at the seams with dreams and ambition.

_I wanted to be with you alone _  
_And talk about the weather _  
_But traditions I can trace against the child in your face _  
_Won't escape my attention _  
_You keep your distance with a system of touch _  
_And gentle persuasion _  
_I'm lost in admiration could I need you this much _  
_Oh, you're wasting my time _  
_You're just wasting time_

House knows Tears for Fears is one of my favorite bands from the eighties, and of course he's playing every card of information he knows about me during his latest bid to gain my affections once more.

Walking back to the bed, I pick up the second box and open it, surprised, just like I had been this morning at finding a photograph of House is smiling up at me while standing in front of the bookstore on the Michigan campus were we had first met.

_You keep your distance with a system of touch  
And gentle persuasion  
I'm lost in admiration could I need you this much  
Oh, you're wasting my time  
You're just wasting time_

As I pull the photograph free from the box, I find a folded up piece of paper behind it, with the words "Read me" scrawled across it.

I unfold the letter, my eyes slowly moving over the words House has written to me.

_This song was playing in my car, the morning after our night together in Michigan. You thought I had snuck out before you got up because all I was interested in was a one night stand, when actually, I was on my way to get us coffee and donuts. Of course I didn't have any money on me, or a hot girl that would help me get free donuts and coffee...so, I went back to my dorm to get some cash, that's when I found one of my professors as well as the Dean waiting for me ...and well, you know the rest. __Back then I thought I had all the time in the world to see if the girl who was too beautiful and smart for her own good could keep me interested for more than one night. Unfortunately, I had to wait twenty years to get my answer. In case you've ever wondered...you still do._

_House_

_################################################## ########################_

_"Running a hospital is like running a whorehouse. You smile, open yourself up and promise to take good care of your customers, no matter how sick they may be ...and if you're really good at what you do...they'll come back."_

House had said that to me once, a few years ago, I wondered if he ever realized he was actually my best whore when it came to keeping the customers happy.

It was with that quote in my mind that I strolled into my kitchen later that morning, smiling and putting on a happy face, even though a man named Greg House has actually just shot an arrow straight through my heart.

"Good morning, House." I said casually, watching House carefully as he turned around from the stove with a frying pan in his hand to face me.

"Good morning, Cuddy. Care for some pancakes?" He asks me just as casually while flipping a pancake.

"I'd love one, thanks." I replied.

House wasn't going to know how much that letter had meant to me, or how much the photograph of him in front of the bookstore tapped into every fantasy a women has about finding "mister right" even if mister right could be a jackass at times. No way in _hell _was House was going to know he just scored a direct hit on me when it was far too early in the game, and I still had too much at stake.

"Good morning, Mommy!" Rachel chimed up to me in a sweet voice as she entered into the kitchen from the hall, directing my gaze from House to her.

"Good morning Sweetie." I responded walking up to her and kissing her on top of the head.

"Something smells good." Rachel commented as she crawled up into one of the bar stools.

House turned around to face us. "Who wants Mickey Mouse pancakes?" He asked .

"Me! Me!" Rachel responded with glee while raising her hand.

"Coming right up, me hearty." House agreed with a nod.

Walking around the bar, I made my way over to the coffee pot and started to pour myself a cup until I felt House slide up beside me, reaching for a plate in the cupboard next to me.

"Tonight, nine pm." He whispered into my ear.

"Excuse me?" I question, turning to look directly at him.

House leaned closer to me, his lips inches away from my ear.

"Tonight at nine pm, after Rachel's asleep, _we_ are going to have a date, here at your house."

Immediately my eyes shoot over to Rachel, who luckily for me, is too busy playing with the toy pony she had brought down with her into the kitchen, content on making the animal gallop on the counter-top, instead of focusing in on the conversation I'm currently having with House.

"Absolutely not." I whisper back up at him.

"You agreed to let me call the shots here." House reminds me, keeping his voice low to ensure we will not draw Rachel's attention.

"I'm not agreeing to anything until I know what you're up to." I challenge.

"Just have some faith in me." House requests and I immediately scoff at him, my glance, once more shifting to Rachel before coming back to him.

House rolls his eyes. "Okay, bad choice of words." He agrees. "But the fact that we're going to be staying here should at least make you realize that I'm not going to do anything outrageous." He tells me.

Although I'm still not entirely convinced, I know for a fact that if House fucks things up inside of my home, he'll find himself ass deep, outside in the snow.

"Fine." I finally agree, before focusing on filling up my coffee cup once more.

I can see from the corner of my eye that House is smiling down at me.

"Stop being so smug." I whisper over to him, nudging him out of the way so I can grab a spoon from the drawer in front of him.

"So how'd you like you surprise this morning?" He then asks, with a softness in his voice that is anything but smug.

"It's a start." I tell him, playing it cool.


End file.
